Garment form and press



No. 593,161. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

INI OR I WITNESSES I W MW 7/ 7/ UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE,

LOUIS M. MARBLE, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GARMENT FORM AND PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,161, dated November 2, 1897.

Application filed July 30, 1897. Serial lilox 646,527. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS M. MARBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment Forms and Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a garment-holder which will suspend a whole suit of clothes, keeping the trousers in press, and which may also be used to suspend ladies waists and skirts, thus making it universal in its applicability, which will enable suits to be quickly and easily put away,which will double the capacity of a closet, and which will enable each suit to be easily accessible,-

the garment-holder to be neat and attractive in appearance, durable in construction, and

not liable to get out of order or to fail in its body portion of the garment-holder.

action.

In accomplishing the object of my invention I have devised a garment-holder which is constructed on the same general principles as the coat-form described in United States Letters Patent No. 582,989, granted to me on May 18, 1897, but which differs therefrom in the form of clamping faces or boxings used and in the means employed to hold the clampingfaces together. I have aimed in my present construction for increased simplicity in construction, ease in operation, and efficiency in action.

My invention is fully illustrated in the drawin gs which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which the same referencenumerals refer to the same or corresponding parts, and in which Figure l is a view of my improved garmentform, showing the bail closed. Fig. 2 is a corresponding View showing the bail open. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one method which I may employ to prevent the bail ends from slipping on the bends of the body portion at the point of attachment thereto.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the It consists of a length of wire, preferably tinned or nickeled to make it attractive in appearance, which is strong enough not to bend or sag when in use from the shape given to it during the construction of the holder. The wire which I preferably employ is that known as No. 10 wire, as I have found this Weight of wire admirably suited for the use to which it is here put. The ends of the wire are so bent as to form loops adapted to enter into the armholes of a coat or waist or jacket suspended thereon, the end of the bend being brought back to the body portion at such a point as to make the bend sufficiently large to form a graceful loop and yet leave from eight to ten inches between the inner ends of the two loops. The ends of the loops are attached to the body portion by eyes 1', formed as shown, with the end of the eyes on the lower side, so as not to injure or tear garments placed on the holder. The bends or loops are peculiar in shape, and by reason of this peculiarity serve not only as loops to enter the armholes of garments placed thereon and to enable such garments to be held in proper position, but also as springs to govern the position of the pivoted bail. At the point where the initial bend is made the wire is bent downward with a sharp inclination, as shown at 2, and the slope upward to the body por tion of the form is gradual, as shown at 3, making a spring which is effective in holding the bail either open or closed. The bend does not extend directly to the body portion of the form, but a square upwardly-inclined bond 3' is formed near the point of attachment of the bend to the body portion, the function and purpose of which will be apparent when the action of the wooden clamping faces or boxings 6 is considered.

The bail at is a length of wire curved to correspond with the curve of the body portion 1 and pivotally secured to the loops or bends of the body portion, so as to enable it to swing outward with an arc-like motion or inward into line with the body portion ofthe holder. It is desirable that the bail ends be prevented from slipping on the loops of the main portion of the form, for the reason that when thus tightly held they form an additional spring, tending to hold the bail and body portion in line when garments are suspended by the clamping-faces attached thereto. To pre vent slipping of the bail ends, it is only necessary to clench them tightly together on the loop, as by a vise or by the blow of a hammer. Another method of accomplishing this result is to indent the wire forming the body portion at the point of attachment, as shown. at 5, and to clench the bail ends tightly in the, indentations thus formed. Any of these methods allows the free arc movement of the bail, but prevents the undesirable sliding of the bail ends.

The bail is made of sufficient length to cause it to contact with the loops or ends of the body portion at all times. When swung outward, it raises the bent-over portion of the loops until a point is reached when the spring of the loops forces the bail outward and holds it in such position. Vhen swung inward, it

correspondingly raises the loop ends until a point is reached when it is forced inward and held in line with the body portion. The

slope of the incline 3 is such that the bail is tightly held in line with the body portion, but not so firmly held in its outer position. This enables the bail to be swung forward.

and back with the minimum of effort required,

when it is considered that the bail ends constitute the spring that holds the two clamping-surfaces in operative position. The bail ends are also fastened to the body portion at such points that the bail is parallel to the body 1 portion throughout its entire length at a distanee from such body portion dependent tral portion, thus causing the sides of the trousers-legs to be pressed as tightly as the center thereof where the seams are formed.

erably of wood, any firm woodsuch as beech,

birch, or maple-being well suited for this, They are formed with plane inner purpose. surfaces '7, so as to form a uniform clampingsurface, but are preferably beveled on their outer surface with a bevel sloping to the bottom of the clamping-faces, so as to render attached and grooved to allow of such attachment. Strips of wood 8 are glued or otherwise secured in the clamping-faces above the wire and hold the wire tightly in place. The clamping-faces have little tendency to turn on the wire if they are fitted snugly on the same, not only because the wire is tightly held in position by the action of the strips 8, but also because the wire being curved no great amount of turning thereon is possible. It is to be noticed that the level of the bail is lower than the level of the body portion by the diameter of the wire, so that it can always be in spring contact with the wire. In order that the wooden clamping-faces may have their upper surfaces level, the groove in the wooden piece to be fitted on the bail is sunk deeper than the groove on the other piece and a wider strip 8 is used.

An advantage is gained by having the level of the body portion and the bail somewhat different, for the points of attachment of the wooden piecesto the same correspondingly varies, and in consequence the points of pivotal turn of the two pieces are different, making turning of such pieces when in action mu ch less likely to occur. A species of crimping action is produced which is highly beneficial to the action of the garment-holder.

The width of the upwardly-inclined bends 3 is so chosen with reference to the thickness of the clamping-pieces employed that the bail does not strike the more sharply-inclined portion 3 of the loops or bends until the clamping-pieces have been forced outwardsay a quarter of an inch-by the legs of a pair of trousers or the waistband of a skirt suspended thereby. This enables the bail to be more easily opened and does not interfere with the efficiency of the action of the holder, as the moment garments aresuspended by the holder the bail is forced against the bend 3 and is pressed into line with the body portion with the entire spring-pressure afforded by the loops. The thicker the garment suspended and the more the bail is consequently forced outward the greater the spring-pressuretending to force the bail back into its normal position, so that it is quite as easy to suspend thick garments on the form as thin garments, the heaviest and lightest weights of garments being suspended equally as Well.

The adjustment of the form to differing thicknesses of garments is automatic and 1 takes place without any action on the part of The clamping faces or 'boXings 6 are prefthe operator.

To enable the garment-holder to be suspended, a plate 9 of thin metal is secured to theinner surface of the boxing attached to the body portion of the form, the plate being formed with an opening 10 in its upper end, to which the suspension-hook 11 is attached. The suspension-hook 11 is similar in construction to the S-shaped hook so well known, but is slightly modified therefrom to suit the demand of the use to which it-is here put.

It is formed with an eye 12, by means of which it may be pivotally attached to the plate 9, with an enlarged bend 13 to permit the coatcollar to have its proper relation to the coat when on the form and with a right-angled curve 14 to permit the form to be suspended upon a closet-rod extending at right angles to the suit suspended. The right-angled bend 14 is not necessary and may in some cases be dispensed with, the ordinary bend of the S- hook being used instead. It is convenient in some instances, however, and is for that reason illustrated. An advantage is gained thereby in packing the form, for the rightangled turn will enter the opening between IIO the two clamping-faces and allow, the form to be packed in substantially the space it would occupy if no hook were used.

It may be here observed that my garmentholder crates in very little space, owing to the downward bend of the loops. This permits the holders to fit closely together, so that six holders can be era-ted in less than the width of three.

In the operation of my garment-holder for the suspension of a suit of mens clothes the bail is swung outward by grasping the two wooden clamping-faces with thumbs on the upper edges thereof and pressing outward, using the lower edges of the clamping-faces as a fulcrum. Another method of opening the form, which is preferable when the spring of the loop ends is strong, is to grasp the form in both hands, with the ends of the loops in the palms of the hands and the thumbs resting against the curved faces of the loops, and press the bail toward you with the first or middle finger. The legs of the trousers are then folded together in the line of the creases formed therein and the hem of the bottom of the legs of the trousers laid upon the inner surface of the clamping-plate attached to the body portion of the form. The space between the lower ends of the clamping-plate is amply sufficient to allow this operation to be carried on without inconvenience. After the trousers have been placed in proper position the bail is closed and clamps the trousers with sufficient force to enable the same to be suspended. The entire hem of the trousers is held pressed and the trousers will be kept-in as perfect condition as if ironed if suspended in this manner from the time whenfirst used. The press is sufficient to remove the wrinkles produced by turning up the legs of the trousers on wet days, so that trousers suspended in this mann er are kept in perfect condition. The clamping-surfaces are smooth and cannot catch or mar the most delicate fabric, and if the clampin g-faces are finished in the natural wood varnished no injury to the trousers can take place. The coat and vest can now be fitted over the body portion of the form in the usual manner and the suit suspended. As the point of suspension of the suspension-hook is directly over the point of attachment, the form will hang in a vertical position.

To suspend a ladys suit, the skirt-band of the skirt can be caught and held by the clamping faces in the manner above de scribed, and the waist or jacket be suspended ,upon the body portion of the form, or the bail may be swung outward and the skirt held in circular shape. A choice in the manner of holding the skirt is thus presented.

To release either trousers or skirt from the press, it is not necessary to remove the form from the hook on which it is suspended, nor is it necessary to remove the coat and. vest. If the trousers or skirt be grasped in one hand and one of the end loops be bent upward while the bail is pushed out with the finger, the clampingfaces will be opened sufficiently to allow the garment to be readily withdrawn.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure bysaid body portion with an oscillatory arc-like motion, being parallel to the body portion, and having its ends attached to the loops in such a manner as to prevent slipping thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a garment-holder, the combination with a body portion formed of wire having its ends bent back upon itself so as to form loops, said loops being sharply inclined downward at the wide end of said loops and gradually sloped upward as they near their point of attachment with the body portion, of a bail pivotally secured to said body portion at the bends of the loops thereof, said bail being adapted to swing into and out of line with said body portion with an oscillatory arc-like motion, being parallel to the body portion, and having its ends attached to the loops in such a manner as to prevent slipping thereon, and boxings having parallel meeting surfaces attached to said bail and said body portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS M. MARBLE.

Witnesses:

N. WE'rrsn INe, S. G. Hornrns. 

